


The Love Ring

by SpuffyCarrie



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Drama, F/M, Fluff, Head Boy Draco Malfoy, Head Girl Hermione Granger, Hogwarts Eighth Year, Non-Canon Relationship, Not Canon Compliant, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-23
Updated: 2020-03-23
Packaged: 2021-03-01 03:55:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,639
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23278933
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpuffyCarrie/pseuds/SpuffyCarrie
Summary: 8th Year Heads fic, drama/ fluff/ romance, unapologetically fluffy in some places.Answer to prompt 8 on my @scdramione Tumblr, celebrating 1000 followers, requested by Anonymous.Huge thanks to @potionchemist and @badwolfjedi for their gorgeous pretties.
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy
Comments: 5
Kudos: 36





	The Love Ring

"It's been good to work with you this year, Granger. Look, I know we've had our differences and you know I've apologised a thousand times for what happened before and during the war." He ran his hand through his hair nervously. "I just want us to start with a clean slate." He held out his hand. "Friends?"

Hermione knew how hard he was trying and considered him a friend already. The fact he was Head boy on their return to Hogwarts for 8th Year was a testament to how much McGonagall knew it too. He'd become almost pleasant to be around and she'd forgiven him long ago. Regardless, they still bickered like a pair of old fish wives. "There really was no need to say that, Malfoy, but thank you none the less. It, err, it means a lot."

Draco felt a sharp pain on his little finger and then it felt like it was on fire. He tugged at his ring, but it wouldn’t budge. "Arrgh! Get it off, get it off! It's burning!"

"What? What is it?" Hermione jumped into action, looking him over for injuries but coming up with nothing.

"The ring, it's like molten lava on my finger! Get it off!" He wailed in agony, it hurt only marginally less than a Crucio.

"I'm trying!" Hermione was yanking his finger to the point he thought she might pull it off.

"Salazar’s bloody bollocks, Granger, that hurts!" He complained.

"For God’s sake, stop whinging, it's not helping." 

"Why is it doing this?" 

"How should I know? It's your ring."

Draco stopped and realised he knew nothing about the ring apart from the fact it had been inside a small box he had stolen from the Slytherin common room in 2nd year. He'd worn it ever since, at first on his middle finger, and as he grew it gravitated to his pinkie finger. He'd always loved how the jet-black stone was a comparison to his supposed dark nature, or so he thought back when he knew he was a complete idiot with a lack of the common sense most others possessed. 

"It's not actually." He admitted and told her the story of how it came into his possession. 

"Oh Draco, surely you better than anyone know the dangers of stealing heirlooms, they could be steeped in dark magic only meant for the bloodline of that family, I read about it in Newton Warrington’s, A History of Magical Items. People have been cursed or killed for stealing these artefacts. We need to find out who it belongs to, and fast."

Draco strode into the Slytherin Common room with Hermione in tow. "Which one of you bastards owns this ring?" He knew he was clutching at straws as it had been five years since he'd stolen it. The first years started at Draco wide eyed, before scurrying away as Draco began to show the ring to the older students, wincing and holding his wrist in pain. 

Theo glanced at it, "It's yours, you've been wearing it for years but now it’s glowing red."

"Thanks for stating the obvious mate, but I wouldn't be sodding asking if it was mine, would I?" 

"What's going on?" Zabini sauntered over, his arm slung around the neck of Daphne Greengrass. 

Draco held out his hand, which was by now turning an odd shade of puce. 

"Oh, yeah, that. It’s mine, my mother sent it for Christmas in second year as a joke, funny like that, she was. I didn’t receive it, so I thought it was lost. Where did you find it?" 

“I could punch you right now.” Draco shook his hand in irritation. 

Blaise held his hands up in mock surrender. “Seems a little harsh, it wasn’t me who took it.”

Draco gulped, he knew he would need to admit what he’d done, or the ring might burn his finger off, and was quite partial to the digit remaining where it was. "Alright, look mate, I'm sorry, I was a little shit back then. It didn't have a name on it, so I took it." 

Zabini roared with laughter and clapped him on the back. "I'm glad, as it’s supposed to tell you when you've found true love." He guffawed. "I've fallen in love so many times over the years I'd be walking around like you every bloody day." 

Daphne harrumphed and stormed off. 

"Oh babe, don’t go." Blaise called after her mournfully. He poked the ring on Draco’s hand with his index finger. "I think you've already paid your dues a thousand times over for being a sneaky little git.” He tried to pull the ring off with no success. “It’s stuck I think, I’ll have to owl mother.” He sidled up to Draco, “Is there a reason you’re blushing like that? You look totally out of your depth. So, who's the lucky girl?" He queried, taking great pleasure in making the Prince of Slytherin feel uncomfortable. Blaise had been taunted by Draco a thousand times and this was payback. 

"Um, err..." Draco looked up at Granger who was blushing so much her face was reminiscent of a beetroot. "Well, she didn't know...u-until now, of course." He tried to read Hermione’s face. He'd never intended for her to know how he felt. He'd always fancied her, but since they began working together as Heads, what was once an infatuation had now become real on his part. He swallowed deeply, his Adam’s apple bobbing. "Granger, I'm sorry, I would never have told you, purely because I've always known you deserved better than a washed-up ex-Death Eater." The pain seemed to abate once he admitted his love, and he was able to remove the ring and hand it back to its rightful owner. Zabini shoved it on his finger, peering at it hopefully and raced after Daphne, the current love of his life.

The other Slytherins pretended not to be earwigging but Hermione knew this had to be the height of their year so far, so she pulled him out of earshot and they stood awkwardly in the corridor. 

Draco put his hands in his pockets and stared at the flagstone floor, kicking at a piece of crumbling stone with the toe of his shoe. 

"Err, well, this is a revelation. I don't really know what to say." Finding out Draco Malfoy was in love with you wasn't something that happened every day. Still, she'd known something was developing between them since the beginning of term. He brought cake for them to share to their head’s meetings, he pulled out her chair before she sat, fussed about her being warm enough and escorted her back to her dorm after every patrol. She knew she'd been falling for him for some time and had also never intended for him to know. At first she'd hoped it was a silly infatuation or crush that would pass, he was gorgeous after all, and she wouldn't be the first to fancy him, but recently she found herself looking forward to his company and seeking him out for his opinion of ridiculous duties she could easily have done herself without his input. Feeling giddy she took a step forward, lifting his hand to peer at his pinkie finger. "It seems alright now, just a bit red." She went to release his hand but found him grasping her fingers as he took a step closer. 

"I'm sorry you had to find out this way, if there's no hope for me then just say it now and I'll leave you alone with a promise I won’t return to the nasty sod I once was. I'm a big boy now, I can take it." 

The vulnerable look on his face said otherwise but luckily for him, Hermione didn’t need long to consider it. She knew they fit in all the right ways, he loved to read as much as she did, he was working hard to build a better future and he was showing a kind side to everyone she'd never known he possessed. There was nothing to decide. She lifted her hand to cup his cheek. "There’s hope, there's a lot of hope." 

Feeling less confident than he ever had when kissing a witch, he stepped forward as she launched herself at him, their lips colliding and their teeth cracking together. 

Draco yelped jumping back, holding his lip with his thumb and forefinger. "Ouch."

"Sweet Circe, I'm sorry, I'm a bit out of practice." She apologised, biting her lip worriedly. 

He cradled her head with both hands, his thumbs caressing her cheeks. "Let's try again, shall we?" Tilting her head, he gently moved his lips over hers, waiting for her to find the rhythm. He moved his arms to gather her closer.

The corridor filled with students heading to their next class and it was only when someone wolf whistled and shouted out, "Good one Malfoy!" that they finally broke apart, lips swollen and hair a total mess. 

“That was kind of hot.” Draco laced his fingers through hers, still barely an inch away from her. "Seems it was worth stealing that ring or we might never have admitted we fancied each other." 

"Theft is a serious matter, you know." She teased.

They began walking along the corridor, hand in hand.

"The only thing I'll ever be stealing now is your heart." Draco chuckled. 

"Tell me you did not just say that cheesy line, Draco? Does that mean I'm destined for a lifetime of sappy romance and awful one liner’s?" She giggled.

"If it makes you laugh, I'd do anything for you." He gazed at her goofily.

They walked off into the distance, blushing adorably and laughing together. Neither knew where it might lead, but for the moment were happy to bask in the first flush of young love. 


End file.
